The Demon is Here
by ZnaZanZ
Summary: A (Very) Short Story Fan Fiction detailing the Master Chief's search for the Prophet of Regret from a Jackal's viewpoint. Written in the Third Person. This is my first piece of published literature, so go easy on me please :) I aimed for a plot-driven story vs. a character-driven one. Obviously in future work I will be more elaborate, but this was a good starting point I think.


As Thoso 'Pororee paced in front of his soldiers, the hologram behind him depicting the Prophet of Regret began to transmit a message:

"_Most of those we encountered in our search were compelled to join our Union. To take part in a moment of promise, freedom for allegiance, salvation for service! But some, like the Humans, chose to impede our progress. Block our access to sacred sites, damage Holy Relics! For their transgressions, the Humans shall be hunted until none remain alive! Every member of the Covenant shall walk the path. None will be left behind when our Great Journey begins! That is the Prophets' age-old promise. And it shall be fulfilled!"_

Tuk didn't care. The Kig-Yar never paid attention to the Prophets. Tuk was just waiting for this "Great Journey" to get over with so he and his kind could raid all of the ships that the Prophets left behind. The Kig-Yar is a pirating race, and any opportunity to better their welfare at the expense of others is always swooped up quickly. The only reason they joined the Covenant was to continue their plundering ways, rather than be exterminated.

As 'Pororee continued to elaborate on the Prophet's message, Tuk stepped backwards behind a pair of Unggoy so he was out of the Sangheili's line of sight. Tuk was always disgusted with the ways of the Unggoy. The pair in front of him were adjusting their methane tanks and inserting gas canisters of various narcotic drugs, an unacceptable practice on the battlefield. Once, the Kig-Yar tampered with the Unggoy supply of narcotics. When the Prophets failed to punish the Kig-Yar, the Unggoy rose up, and fought surprisingly valiantly.

Tuk checked the battery on his Type-50 Sniper Rifle System, which was almost depleted from the previous skirmish on the Human home-world. After a brief battle in a large city there, the Prophet of Regret ordered a jump out-of-system, which led them to another "Sacred Ring". Tuk wondered why the Prophet retreated so early. The Humans were not winning by any means.

It had to be a Demon. Tuk had heard a rumor that one had destroyed a Scarab right before the Slipspace jump. Perhaps the Prophet was worried that the Demon could not be stopped. Even worse, a scout team of Yanme'e had reported a Demon was _here_, on the ring. Undoubtedly, it had to be the same one. After the defeat of the other important Human planet, Demon sightings became extremely scarce. Tuk wondered if the one on the ring, _here_, was the last one.

Clutching a new Ionized Hydrogen canister, Tuk hoped it was.

Finally, 'Pororee's boring speech came to a close, and the Covenant that were gathered around the Sangheili began to recite part of the Writ of Union:

"_So full of hate were our eyes,_

_That none of us could see._

_Our war would yield countless dead,_

_But never victory._

_So let us cast our arms aside,_

_And like discard our wrath._

_Thou, in faith, will keep us safe,_

_Whilst we find the path."_

Tuk, as always, merely moved his jaws to the pattern of the chant, pretending to speak it. He was much more focused on something else. Something of much greater importance to him.

As he inserted the canister into his Beam Rifle (a practice that the Humans, who took these from fallen Kig-Yar snipers, never learned), he thought only of using it against the Demon.

The Demon that was _here_.

After they had finished the excerpt, 'Pororee ordered Tuk and two other Kig-Yar sniper specialists to take post at the front of the temple they were holed down in. Inside the Temple was the Prophet of Regret. 'Pororee was not an Honor Guard, but Tuk still admired his ability to fight with his Energy Sword. Tuk rarely showed respect for other species of the Covenant, but 'Pororee was an exception. In actuality, the only reason he _liked_ this specific Sangheili was because he was allowed Tuk total control over his mission when under his command. Most Sangheili leaders monitored lower units with a dictator-mentality. If Tuk wanted to aim for a small Human that was holding a Sniper Rifle before the one that was holding a Rocket Launcher, 'Pororee wouldn't order him to do otherwise. It was quite strange. For years, Kig-Yar were valued as barely more competent than Unggoy.

Suddenly, the squad's scout team of Yanme'e returned from another run. They reported that the Demon was closing in on the temple, and that there was only one Phantom of troops remaining in the vicinity. Upon hearing this frightening news, 'Pororee ordered three of his Sangheili and seven of his Unggoy to follow him to the Demon's location. That left only Tuk and the two other Kig-Yar defending the entrance to the Temple. As Tuk watched 'Pororee's gondola glide across the lake, he knew all too well that this would be the Sangheili's final battle.

After what felt like _hours_ to Tuk, something started to move on the far side of the lake. It was the gondola! Tuk was wondering why he had ever doubted 'Pororee in the first. He focused in on the gondola using the Beam Rifle to see how many soldiers they lost.

At 5x zoom, Tuk could only make out one figure. It had to be 'Pororee, he thought. Then he zoomed in to 10x.

It wasn't the deep purple armor of 'Pororee, nor the pure blue armor of his fellow Sangheili. It was green and metallic. And it was _here_.

Tuk relayed his discovery to his squad-mates, and they all took aim at the gondola. It was too far away to get a decent shot off, and, to make matters worse, none of them had any extra canisters. They only had ten shots apiece.

As soon as Tuk's targeting reticule turned red, he fired off a shot. His comrades followed suit.

They all missed, so at Tuk's order they fired once more. Another miss. Tuk was getting frustrated, as were the other two Kig-Yar beside him. One of them, Loq, fired all his remaining shots in hopeless desperation. The other, Hox, smashed his Beam Rifle over Loq's head, knocking him out. Tuk hissed at Hox, but chuckled for a moment at the stupidity of Loq. After realizing he had no time for this, Tuk realigned his Rifle with the Demon. The gondola was almost halfway to the Temple, and they only had eight shots apiece.

Hox aimed at the gondola and fired another shot. This one barely missed the Demon's head. Then, a streaking light emanated from the Demon's shoulder.

A Rocket. Tuk new the sight all too well. Tuk and Hox scattered behind a Shade turret, the only cover in the area. The last thing Tuk remembered was seeing the rocket explode on top of Loq's body, turning it to absolute mush.

He was incredibly shaken, but when Tuk woke up, he was able to survey the area. Loq was, unsurprisingly, nowhere to be found. Hox was missing both his legs, with heavy damage to the rest of his body. Tuk had to assume he was dead. As he examined himself, he felt an intense burning in his side. His whole body was filled with horrible burns and cuts. It was a miracle he survived. He looked over the balcony where they were stationed.

The gondola had landed below, but the Demon was nowhere to be found.

Summoning any strength he had left, he leaped over the balcony to the entrance below. As he landed, he heard bone crack, along with feeling immense pain. He limped through the entranceway of the Temple. Inside, he heard chaos. Sangheili barking orders to Unggoy, the Prophet of Regret issuing taunts to something…

Tuk knew what to do. He limped as fast as he could into the Temple. As he entered, he heard a high-pitched shriek, along with heavy, cacophonous footsteps. And they were getting closer. Tuk readied his Beam Rifle. A green blur rounded the corner in front of Tuk, and he fired, only to completely miss. Then he felt a huge force slam into his abdomen. As he shrunk to the ground, he was able to see the Demon running past him out of the Temple.

It had won. The Demon that was _here_ had won. He killed a Prophet. He killed multiple Sangheili, Unggoy, Yanme'e, and Kig-Yar. As Tuk writhed on the ground, losing life by the second, he felt the most intense heat he had ever experienced. And then nothing. But before the plasma disintegrated the Temple, he thought just one thing.

Why did the Demon have to follow them _here_?


End file.
